A Simple Exercise that will Help You Relax in 10 Steps:

Sit in a comfortable position, with eyes closed. Take a few deep breaths, expanding your belly as you breathe air in and contracting it as you exhale.

Begin at the top of your body, and go down. Start with your head, tensing your facial muscles, squeezing your eyes shut, puckering your mouth and clenching your jaw. Hold, then release and breathe.

Tense as you lift your shoulders to your ears, hold, then release and breathe.

Make a fist with your right hand, tighten the muscles in your lower and upper arm, hold, then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left hand.

Concentrate on your back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Hold, then release. Breathe in and out.

Suck in your stomach, hold, then release. Breath in and out.

Clench your buttocks, hold, then release. Breathe in and out.

Tighten your right haamstring, hold then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left hamstring.

Flex your right calf, hold, then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left calf.

Tighten toes on your right foot, hold, then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left foot.

Adapted from www.arthritistoday.org